Messages that matter in a global pandemic

One of the most rewarding aspects of agency life over the past few weeks has been the chance to collaborate with clients determined to make a difference in their local communities.

Adnams, JD Cooling, and Chestnut Group have all in their own way been busy providing practical help and support to those at the front line in the fight against Covid-19, and it’s been a pleasure to help them where we can.

But while the PR and marketing messages for these and many other organisations may have shifted recently in line with ‘what matters right now’, there are others for whom nothing has changed and the need to land their key core message has never been more important.

Two such organisations are Age UK Norfolk and World Land Trust, both of whom we’ve worked with in the last month to amplify their cause, engage new supporters and, in the case of Age UK Norfolk, raise vital funds.

Demand for Age UK Norfolk’s services has rocketed in recent weeks, just as their income from shops has stopped altogether.

That’s why it was so good to see the Shorthose team come together to organise, promote and host the Age Old Pub Quiz – a virtual Thursday-nighter that raised hundreds of pounds for the charity and saw more than 80 teams take part on the night.

This simple social awareness campaign urges people to take or draw a picture of their garden, or whatever else has kept them in touch with nature over the last few weeks, and share it on social – tagging @worldlandtrust and using #WLTBiggerPicture.

Making people care enough about its work to protect some of the world’s most threatened habitats has always been a challenge for this Suffolk-based charity, but the arrival and impact of Covid-19 has seen many people reflect on their relationship with the natural world around them and think about ways to lessen their impact on the planet as a whole.

It’s early days, but the charity is already seeing active engagement from people who’d never heard of their work before the #WLTBiggerPicture campaign. As ever for a charity, the challenge will be to convert these active engagers into active supporters – something we’re very much looking forward to working with World Land Trust on in the weeks and months to come.